3.5 tonne horseboxes - anyone had one built to their own specifications?

[Bri]

Having just sold our 7.5t, we're now on the lookout for a 3.5t. After some helpful advice on here we're looking at one of the renault master/vauxhall movano types. After doing a bit of research online it looks like it may actually be cheaper to get one made from scratch then to buy second hand. We just want the very basics anyway to try and keep the payload up.

Has anyone done the same? Could you recommend a good company?

Thanks

 

[JoBo]

Yes we did though a company called Tru Leisure. http://www.truleisure.com/

I love our little Renault master coach built. Ours has a 1170kg payload, so only one big horse, or two small ones. It’s really easy to drive.

Hope this helps.

Edited to say, we have the mid lenght one.

 

[christine48]

bretherton's have just started building 3.5 ton lorries. We had a 7.5 ton from them built to our specification so should do the same for 3.5 ton

 

[Bri]

Thanks JoBo - the company looks really good -and much cheaper then I was expecting. Out of interest why did you chose coachbuild over a van conversion?

I know payload isn't enormous, but we only have a 15h and 14h so think we should be okay if it's about 1.2?

 

[JoBo]

Thanks JoBo - the company looks really good -and much cheaper then I was expecting. Out of interest why did you chose coachbuild over a van conversion?

I know payload isn't enormous, but we only have a 15h and 14h so think we should be okay if it's about 1.2?

We just choose the coach built because you have more head room inside. The coach built is squared off where the van conversions have a sloping roof, if that makes sense? We went down there and had a look at what they were building. Also not sure if you are thinking of going but they are usually at the Kent County Show too, if you want to see one in the flesh.

 

[JoBo]

The boys are in the way but this gives you an idea of what we have:

 

[Bri]

Yours is very smart - it's still 3.5t though? It just looks so much bigger! How big are your two boys? It obviously carries them both fine?

When is the Kent county show? Wasn't planning on it, but couldnt hurt!!

 

[JoBo]

Thanks, yes it’s 3.5 tonnes. Bodey is 15’2hh and Price 15hh, we normally just take one at a time, occasionally take two but have to be careful not to go over the weight limit. (Bodey weighs 500kg, and Prince is 410kg).

The Kent County Show is the 16th, 17th and 18th of July I believe, and it’s in Maidstone Kent, just of the A249, which is off J7 on the M20. Not too far from Surrey.

 

[tinker88]

my company does but we are prob quite a drive from you.

Our renault/movano style van conversions what we do is get the customer to buy there own van _ must be LWB and the maxi high roof (7'2 inside)

then we convert the van starting from £5750.00 which is our standard non metallic paint conversion. we normally get left with 1300kg to carry with.

make sure you use someone that is VBRA members that cover you with warranty. The VBRA is the closest thing horsebox manufactures have as a governing body - all the welding, work, and build are checked etc.

BEWARE on cowboys and also we prefer the van style not the box type of 3.5t, if you imagine the van style are also used as minibuses so the sides, back etc are all impact and crash dummy tested. The box style are not, the basically cut away the whole body leaving the cab open - this is fine on a 7.5t that floor level is above a standard car hight but on vans its low and the cuts to fit the body are at standard impact height!.....scarey! but , a lot are converted right -but many are not so be carful

 

[Bri]

Wouldn't you be okay with both? They still leave you about 200kg to play with don't they? Mind you I have no idea how much tack weighs!

Tinker88 - do you have a website or any other details? PM me iif you'd prefer. You are quite far, but may work out cheaper then using somewhere closer to home. You seem to know what you are talking about too - thanks for the hints on the VBRA.

That's interesting about the van being safer I would have thought it would be the other way round. Shows how much of a numpty I am!

 

[lauraandjack]

I have a 3.5t van conversion done for me last autumn by 3 Counties Horseboxes. I must say that I love it.

I went for a new conversion because all the vans I saw advertised were incredibly overpriced given the age of the chassis - you see H and K reg vans going for anything up to £8k! I'm sure the horse areas are of a very high standard but the actual vehicles have got to be approaching the end of their useful lives! My 05 plate new conversion was about 13k including a tidy paint job.

Also there are a lot of cowboy conversions out there - I wanted to know that what I was driving was safe.

I had mine done very minimally inside as I wanted maximum payload so I could have the option of carrying 2 horses (conversions generally seem to have a better payload than coachbuilt, I think mine has about 1300kg), although I've only ever travelled one in it. He has loads of headroom (15.3 welsh D). If you do need more headroom they can do an extra high top version. The inside is very basic, breast bar and partition, one storage over wheel arch and saddle racks, basically a self-propelled trailer! The more cupboards/storage/cookers you put in the less horse you can carry. The other advantage of conversions is that they still have double van doors at the back - a useful emergency exit for the horse if necessary. A lot of coachbuilts have a single narrow door and can be disastrous if a horse tries to get over the breast bar.